Truck Guys Com'on.......

[ssiredfish]

Thinkin the truck could use a little more height. I dont really want to spend the jack on a full-blown suspension lift but dont know too much about block lift kits. Anybody used these before and have some pro/cons about em? I dont need much out of them, just about 2"......

2006 Chevy 2500HD 4x4(elec)

[THEFERMANATOR]

I would go with a lift if it were mine. Teh front ends don't do so well in these once you crank the torsion bars up, so relocating teh steering linkage is a good idea. At teh minumum I would go with a set of blocks and cognito upper control arms. You can put in a set of leveling keys, but the ones I have seen don't look happy up front in the upper a arm area(hence going with a lift or cognito upper control arms).

[ssiredfish]

I would go with a lift if it were mine. Teh front ends don't do so well in these once you crank the torsion bars up, so relocating teh steering linkage is a good idea. At teh minumum I would go with a set of blocks and cognito upper control arms. You can put in a set of leveling keys, but the ones I have seen don't look happy up front in the upper a arm area(hence going with a lift or cognito upper control arms).

Thanks Ferm, I think thats a little more than what I was lookin to spend. Im not sure what all my options are but I basically want to be able to put bigger tires on eventually. I have 285's on there now but they look small on this truck and I barely have wheel well clearance with those.

I was tryin to stay under the $500 range and dont mind doing it myself if its pretty straight forward. I also dont want to end up with some BS under there either......Any other suggestions???

[THEFERMANATOR]

I think a set of lift keys and upper control arms will run you around $300-400, and a set of blocks is pretty cheap. Without the upper control arms it really throws the geometry off on them IMO, but alot of people do it. At the minumum you will need a set of lift keys and blocks for the rear, but this will have it so your front suspension is almost maxed out all the time, and will most likely clunk going over large bumps and such when the front end extends.

[jasoncooperpcola]

2" lift eh? Moderation is good. But lift does not work that way. You see, lift is like sex. You can NEVER have too much. You start out with a two inch lift. After a while it does not look as good and is not noticable. So you go to the 7-9" Cognito. Now you are happy with it. But you are eating ball joints and pitman arms every six months. Dam, now this wont work. You cant go back down. So you rip all that IFS crap out and replace it with a Dana 60. Now literrally the sky is the limit. It never stops....... Same with exhaust tips. I started with no tip just a 4" pipe. Got old fast and looked small. So i put a 5" tip on. After a year it looks small. So now I am saving for a 6" double walled exhaust tip.

[ssiredfish]

2" lift eh? Moderation is good. But lift does not work that way. You see, lift is like sex. You can NEVER have too much. You start out with a two inch lift. After a while it does not look as good and is not noticable. So you go to the 7-9" Cognito. Now you are happy with it. But you are eating ball joints and pitman arms every six months. Dam, now this wont work. You cant go back down. So you rip all that IFS crap out and replace it with a Dana 60. Now literrally the sky is the limit. It never stops....... Same with exhaust tips. I started with no tip just a 4" pipe. Got old fast and looked small. So i put a 5" tip on. After a year it looks small. So now I am saving for a 6" double walled exhaust tip.

I hear ya cuz!!!! Sounds like me with fishin gear......

If money were no object......Id be showin you my new rig. But I spend less than 10min a day in this truck and dont want to drop more than $1500 for exhaust, lift and liner. So I guess it'll piss you off to hear that Im doin 4" straight pipes......no angle, no tip:cry:

Besides, at more than 2" I will have to climb into it. Ive come pretty close already to slicin a nut gettin in that thing and dont wanna press my luck!!!! I'll put some pics up and you guys can see for yourself..... of the truck, not my nut.......

[ssiredfish]

I think a set of lift keys and upper control arms will run you around $300-400, and a set of blocks is pretty cheap. Without the upper control arms it really throws the geometry off on them IMO, but alot of people do it. At the minumum you will need a set of lift keys and blocks for the rear, but this will have it so your front suspension is almost maxed out all the time, and will most likely clunk going over large bumps and such when the front end extends.

Ill check it out Ferm, the one I saw was $800 but looked like it included suspension....the arms looked awesome though....

[smokeonthewater]

if this is to be a street queen, then cheap lift, excellent ride, and perfect geometry can be attained for way under your budget.... BODY lift.... Warning though, if you intend to get twisted up offroad regularly, the body lift is hard of the body mounts of the cab but for a street queen, while the don't look quite as good, a 3" body lift can really be the ticket

[macojoe]

I know its not a 2500 but, I have a 08 Silverado 1500, I like the Chevy's but they are all so low?? In the 08 they no longer have the torsion bars, they went to coil springs in the front. I added 3/4 on springs to the rear and then added a leveling kit to the front end for a 2" lift all around.

http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq158/GandS-MFG/04-10%20ford%20f150%20lift%20kit/04-11fordf1502inchfront.jpg

they worked out good for me, i could still use a little more height, but the wife has a hard time already.

In my 02 Silverado i had torsion bars and tightened them up but the front end got lose after a while like stated above. It also had 3/4 to rear springs. bought with 25,000 sold to my friend with 189,000, he has it with 215,000 now!

http://www.wellcraftv20.com/gallery/albums/MJ-hide/010_G.sized.jpg

The 08 GMC I bought had the 3/4 to rears added also but never had it long enough to do anything to the front. bought with 20,000 and gave back on year later with 35,000 miles

http://www.wellcraftv20.com/gallery/albums/MJ-hide/013_G.sized.jpg

The 08 Silverado has the 3/4 rear and the level kit in the front and I still drive it every day and love the truck. I have had this truck for almost 2 years bought with 27,000, now has 46,000 miles

No pic right now

[ssiredfish]

if this is to be a street queen, then cheap lift, excellent ride, and perfect geometry can be attained for way under your budget.... BODY lift.... Warning though, if you intend to get twisted up offroad regularly, the body lift is hard of the body mounts of the cab but for a street queen, while the don't look quite as good, a 3" body lift can really be the ticket

Thanks Smoke, I'd say my off-road use would be very light at best.....I appreciate the heads-up........

The days of raggin out what I didnt pay for are long gone!!!!! But the temptation remains all the same:sly:

[ssiredfish]

The 08 GMC I bought had the 3/4 to rears added also but never had it long enough to do anything to the front. bought with 20,000 and gave back on year later with 35,000 miles


What didnt you like about the GMC? It and the Tundra are the only ones I havent owned......

[ssiredfish]

Here she is......Could definitely use some more height.
Dont pay any attention to the Mexican Spoiler in the back.....its temporary......

MJ, any resize options here to make it larger???

[macojoe]

Getting rid of the running boards makes a huge difference in appearance!! Also for larger tires I have heard you would need to cut the plastic spoiler under the front bumper so it doesn't rub.

I need my running boards for the wife or they be gone! The GMC looked great with out them!

As far as the GMC, it wasn't I don't like them, But the one I had was eating the transfer case?? In the 1 year I had it I had over $5000 worth of warrt. work done to it! My dealer was great, he said the last time I was there that they put a brand new case in but understood if I wanted to get rid of it.
He then said he would give me a 100% refund for the GMC, and sell me something else if I wanted or I could just walk away!I would have been stupid to refuse!!
So I got all the cash back, and bought the Silverado from him, not because of the GMC, but because it is what I liked, and he had on the lot, he even sent it to the spring shop, and paid them to install the 3/4 ton springs so I did not have to!!

After I got this Chevy I have had a few things go, but they right on them!! I had a 1 heated mirror fail, 1 power door lock fail, and both front hub assembly's. They had the hubs changed in 1 hour!!
Other then that I have been very happy with this truck!!

But the 2002 was my FAVORITE!!! And it still going, I got rid of it as the miles were getting up there, and wanted something more reliable, Should have just stayed with that. But that also had the hub issue a few times, which was a easy DIY

[ssiredfish]

Getting rid of the running boards makes a huge difference in appearance!! Also for larger tires I have heard you would need to cut the plastic spoiler under the front bumper so it doesn't rub.

I need my running boards for the wife or they be gone! The GMC looked great with out them!

As far as the GMC, it wasn't I don't like them, But the one I had was eating the transfer case?? In the 1 year I had it I had over $5000 worth of warrt. work done to it! My dealer was great, he said the last time I was there that they put a brand new case in but understood if I wanted to get rid of it.
He then said he would give me a 100% refund for the GMC, and sell me something else if I wanted or I could just walk away!I would have been stupid to refuse!!
So I got all the cash back, and bought the Silverado from him, not because of the GMC, but because it is what I liked, and he had on the lot, he even sent it to the spring shop, and paid them to install the 3/4 ton springs so I did not have to!!

After I got this Chevy I have had a few things go, but they right on them!! I had a 1 heated mirror fail, 1 power door lock fail, and both front hub assembly's. They had the hubs changed in 1 hour!!
Other then that I have been very happy with this truck!!

But the 2002 was my FAVORITE!!! And it still going, I got rid of it as the miles were getting up there, and wanted something more reliable, Should have just stayed with that. But that also had the hub issue a few times, which was a easy DIY

Well that sounds like it worked out well for you. Props to the dealer for standing behind it like that.....

I am on the same page as you about the b*tch bars. Id rather ditch em but the little lady would have a hard time gettin in and I have a young daughter that when she is old enough to ride with daddy I want her to be able to get in.

My buddy is all ready to go with the recip saw to accomadate bigger tires, he's just waitin for the word, hehe......

Also, the thing that scares me the most with this truck IS the mirrors. Heated, extendable, powered tilt.....probably $600 if you knock one off. I dont know that for sure but I am very weary of them when I drive through the woods to one of my fishin spots. Wouldnt be the first time an Oak tree jumped out in front of me........

[jasoncooperpcola]

Man that is a pretty truck. I like the 99-07.5 Chevy and GMC trucks better than the new ones! I have a 1996 GMC and I added the dumbo elephant ear mirrors to it. Best money I have ever spent on it. Been very careful with gate posts and bushwacking.

[macojoe]

In my silverado I hit a small tree branch and made a hole in the housing, but i never noticed it till I got on the hwt. going 50 and heard a whistle? Kept asking everyone were it was coming from, my son sounds like the mirror. I looked and sure enough it had a hole.
I ordered some chrome covers and put them on and no more noise and I ot the chrome to boot!
My mirrors do it all but the tilt in part and I wish they did!!

[ssiredfish]

Man that is a pretty truck. I like the 99-07.5 Chevy and GMC trucks better than the new ones! I have a 1996 GMC and I added the dumbo elephant ear mirrors to it. Best money I have ever spent on it. Been very careful with gate posts and bushwacking.

Thanks!!! and I agree, not a huge fan of the new styles.

......gate posts and trees have me VERY nervous. I dont ever want to make a call for a replacement!!!!

[ssiredfish]

In my silverado I hit a small tree branch and made a hole in the housing, but i never noticed it till I got on the hwt. going 50 and heard a whistle? Kept asking everyone were it was coming from, my son sounds like the mirror. I looked and sure enough it had a hole.
I ordered some chrome covers and put them on and no more noise and I ot the chrome to boot!
My mirrors do it all but the tilt in part and I wish they did!!

Haha!!!! Boy do I know your pain!!! I was on a 10hr trip in a box truck fighting the same noise. Finally found the small fracture on the outside of the mirror whistling my name. 4" of duct tape and oh the peace and quiet!!!!

I will say that is the only thing I like about some of the new trucks is the mirrors that auto-tilt when you shift to reverse. Pretty slick......I have to tilt mine down to even see the tire.........

[jasoncooperpcola]

I had an arrow slid over my antenna for a while. But on the interstate it would whistle. Drove me crazy trying to figure it out. Then it hit me that I just did the arrow. So that did not last long....

[macojoe]

Here is mine now. Note the chrome mirrors, they are plastic covers, for the whistling hole.

http://www.wellcraftv20.com/gallery/albums/album185/007_G.sized.jpg

http://www.wellcraftv20.com/gallery/albums/album185/008_G.sized.jpg

http://www.wellcraftv20.com/gallery/albums/album185/009_G.sized.jpg

http://www.wellcraftv20.com/gallery/albums/album185/011_G.sized.jpg

[ssiredfish]

Here is mine now. Note the chrome mirrors, they are plastic covers, for the whistling hole.

http://www.wellcraftv20.com/gallery/albums/album185/007_G.sized.jpg

http://www.wellcraftv20.com/gallery/albums/album185/008_G.sized.jpg

http://www.wellcraftv20.com/gallery/albums/album185/009_G.sized.jpg

http://www.wellcraftv20.com/gallery/albums/album185/011_G.sized.jpg

Looks good MJ......Is it a 5.0 also? What kind of fuel econ you gettin? Im gettin 10.6mpg around town and 8.8 with the boat but I gotta cross 2 big bridges too launch so that mightbe a tad high......

[macojoe]

Thanks, I have the 5.3 V8 Vortec, I get 16 mpg no matter what I drive hwy, city, fast, slow. Towing I have not really done it, but I am guessing about 12-13

Here they are this morning! They sit together good with the 3/4 springs.

http://www.wellcraftv20.com/gallery/albums/album185/010sm.sized.jpg

http://www.wellcraftv20.com/gallery/albums/album185/012sm.sized.jpg

[phatdaddy]

good looking rig, mj. i have been a dodge truck guy since '72, but after driving my wife's tahoe (02) with the 5.3, my next work truck will be a chevy/gmc. she was getting the same mileage your getting, but my mech suggested we switch to mobil 1 syn oil, i thought it was bs. we took it on vacation this summer pulling a trailer with gear & 2 kayaks and got an honest 20 mpg highway, 17 in town. i put it in my work truck and went from 10.5 to 12.5.

[macojoe]

Thanks!!
I will have to give it a try, and see what happens??
I got crap from a guy the other day cause I have been doing Chevy since the 80's, and change the oil every 3000 miles. I am pretty anul about it also!! I use Castro oil as I had a 89 Blazer that burned some oil, and my guy back then stated I had less then 100,000 on it that there was no way I was burning that much, said your returns are blocked. Use castro for a few changes, and if it doesn't get better you will have to pull the covers, and clean it. I did 3 oil changes, and no more oil burning!! He was right, I kept that thing to almost 200K before I sold it.
So I am a firm believer, that oil changes, and stuff are the single best thing you can do for your motor!!

The only thing about the Chevy's to me are the brakes, they never feel strong enough, but they work. I have just 45,000 on this truck, but when they are due I am going to switch the rotors to drilled and slotted ones.

But I love the truck! With my boat on there you hardly even know its there.

[ssiredfish]

Thanks!!
I will have to give it a try, and see what happens??
I got crap from a guy the other day cause I have been doing Chevy since the 80's, and change the oil every 3000 miles. I am pretty anul about it also!! I use Castro oil as I had a 89 Blazer that burned some oil, and my guy back then stated I had less then 100,000 on it that there was no way I was burning that much, said your returns are blocked. Use castro for a few changes, and if it doesn't get better you will have to pull the covers, and clean it. I did 3 oil changes, and no more oil burning!! He was right, I kept that thing to almost 200K before I sold it.
So I am a firm believer, that oil changes, and stuff are the single best thing you can do for your motor!!

The only thing about the Chevy's to me are the brakes, they never feel strong enough, but they work. I have just 45,000 on this truck, but when they are due I am going to switch the rotors to drilled and slotted ones.

But I love the truck! With my boat on there you hardly even know its there.

Very solid rig indeed!!! As for the brakes, Im comin from a Ford so I agree but at the same time I wouldnt wish the Brake pads Ford uses on my worst enemy. I should have named my 07' Ford "Dusty". It was the worst I have ever seen with any vehicle and I like to think Im pretty gentle with braking.......

[RidgeRunner]

I have been GM since 1988. Couldn't agree more with the brake feel on the gas pick-ups and such MJ. My 1989 GMC Sierra had a very soft pedal. It got worked on. Luckily, the hydroboost brakes on the diesel trucks makes the brakes feel just right. When I switch from the diesel to the Tahoe it takes some adjusting.

[jasoncooperpcola]

Hydroboost is great. Until your power steering pump goes out. You have good brakes until you reach a certain point on the pedal. Then it goes to the floor and you have nothing. Its happened twice to me. Once on the road and the other time offroad. Dont ask about the result of the offroad brake failure....

[macojoe]

My brother had that issue when the power steering went out, he was Joe what has happened?? I told him, and he said what does one have to do with the other? I said thats the way they do it.

[jasoncooperpcola]

Thats GM for you. If you cant steer around what you are about to hit you might as well not need brakes! Wait a minute, if you cant dodge it, RAM IT!?!?!? Dam we are driving dodge!

[ssiredfish]

Well since we are on the topic, I need exhaust too! Any suggestions what I should go with or stay away from? Im thinkin 4" straight pipes out the back but Im scratchin my head pre-bumper......

[jasoncooperpcola]

If you can afford it, go with Banks. If I had a Duramax that would be my choice. I have a HeartThrob on my 6.5 and it fit well, but I wonder how a different muffler would sound. If you are on a budget, just order the downpipe aka head pipe and worry about the rest later. Just let it dump out under the cab.

[smokeonthewater]

if this is a diesel go with diamond eye..... all over ebay, dirt cheap, top notch quality... I've had it on my powerstroke for 5 years and not a speck of rust on it

If this is a gas engine, 4" is silly. Personally, while I've had some really loud vehicles in the past I've come to fee that it is selfish to force the whole world to listen to my loud exhaust and I don't do it any more.... I even had a 4" from the turbo back straight pipe set up on the powerstroke for a while but I bought a $170 high flow but quiet muffler for it.

[jasoncooperpcola]

A diesel running straight pipes sounds a hell of a lot better than these ricers running around. And a gazillion times better than having to listen to overbassed rap (makes me miss when my injection pump was loose and overfueling). The only real drawback to no muffler is the drone at highway speeds.

Also the way I feel, unless the whole world pays my tag registration, insurance, and fuel to hell with them. I am respectful with how loud my truck is. I deliver pizza sometimes with it. I go into high end subdivisions at eleven sometimes midnight. I am not trying to argue but your vehicle is your vehicle. Disregard for others is one thing, but just because the guy in the prius next to you does not like your exhaust does not mean you bow down to him. Besides your straight pipe diesel is less harmful to the environment than his prius.

[smokeonthewater]

yeah, I couldn't care less about the guy next to me in a prius....It's when my neighbors would call me and ask if it was me that drove by and woke them up at 11:15 when they had to get up at 4 am that got my attention.... My truck had absolutely no drone on the highway... I couldn't hear the exhaust in the cab at all unless the window was down and I passed a building or something to echo the sound back at me. I had not realized just how loud it was and how many people I was disturbing.

[ssiredfish]

Okay maybe my post was misleading......Im not changin the headers or anything in front of the muffler. I was more looking to see if you guys rec'd Borla, Flowmaster, etc.....then having the pipes come straight out the back of the truck instead of to the side:haha:. Does that help?

[THEFERMANATOR]

Okay maybe my post was misleading......Im not changin the headers or anything in front of the muffler. I was more looking to see if you guys rec'd Borla, Flowmaster, etc.....then having the pipes come straight out the back of the truck instead of to the side:haha:. Does that help?


Pipes straight out the back does help some with the drone VS out the sides. The stock exhaust is 3.5" out the back, personally I would split it off after the muffler and go out the back with dual 2 1/4" or 2 1/2" pipes if you want duals or a single 3.5" for a single as it is MORE than big enough to flow whatever a 6.0 will need(GM used the same exhaust for the 6.0, 8.1, and DURAMAX in the early years, just a different muffler for the DURAMAX). As for which muffler, I becam,e a fan of MAGNAFLOWS. They have a real deep bassy tone to them without the cackle that alot of them get, and they don't drone as bad as some others do. FLOWMASTER will always have that beer can rasp to them which is fine if you like it, but I personally don't care for it anymore. Also there is a new company out callled JONES FULL BOAR that is making knock-off copies of all the big name mufflers for about 1/3rd the cost. I just bought a set of MAGNAFLOW knock-offs from performance curve for less than half of what 1 magnaflow would have cost.

[smokeonthewater]

the muffler on my powerstroke is a donaldson... I have 4" mandrel bent exhaust from the turbo back... the truck is barely louder than stock with a great performance tone and the muffler I got flows 99% of what a straight pipe flows which is about 250% of what the stock exhaust flows... it was a bit pricey but well worth it.... It's not loud enough to piss of my neighbors but people tell me all the time that it sounds really mean.

as for duals straight out the back, I've always heard that refered to as sweethearts.... Personally I wouldn't waste any money on big names... NONE of them will do anything for performance. just go to a local muffler shop. Have them whack off the offending side exit tail pipes and bend up some that exit where you want.

As for a muffler... you have to decide what you want it to sound like.... loud quiet mellow or rowdy.... heck I dunno, maybe you want a thrush glass pack for that badah badah badah coolguy rumble :D

[jasoncooperpcola]

Ssiredfish, what engine do you have? I am thinking its diesel for some reason.

[ssiredfish]

Its gas......

I would like it to sound low and throaty of course. Im not really one for the poppy sound......

Not tryin to get that screamin sound I would just like like it a tad lower and a touch louder than what it came with.

[THEFERMANATOR]

Its gas......

I would like it to sound low and throaty of course. Im not really one for the poppy sound......

Not tryin to get that screamin sound I would just like like it a tad lower and a touch louder than what it came with.

MAGNAFLOW or a JONES FULL BOAR MF series muffler would be my suggestion. There the same muffler basically, but theJONES costs 1/3rd what the MAGNAFLOW does. See if you can find a muffler shop that does dual exhaust as dual 2 1/4" pipes will be plenty out the back as you already have 3 1/2" coming back from the engine now.

[ssiredfish]

MAGNAFLOW or a JONES FULL BOAR MF series muffler would be my suggestion. There the same muffler basically, but theJONES costs 1/3rd what the MAGNAFLOW does. See if you can find a muffler shop that does dual exhaust as dual 2 1/4" pipes will be plenty out the back as you already have 3 1/2" coming back from the engine now.

Alright I'll check into that.....Thanks FERM and Crew!!!!

[THEFERMANATOR]

Heres a video I just did of a set of the JONES FULL BOAR MAGNAFLOW knock offs.

http://www.wellcraftv20.com/community/showthread.php?t=18359